Ottawa, ON – Today, Conservative Candidates, Yves Levesque and Michael Barrett, commented on a resurfaced column in which Justin Trudeau’s candidate for Trois-Rivières criticizes Trudeau for his corruption. “Justin Trudeau is too corrupt for even his own candidates – and it’s not surprising. Trudeau has been found guilty of breaking federal law twice, and his cover-ups and deception have become commonplace,” said Barrett. In an editorial dated July 15, 2020, Martin Francoeur, Liberal Candidate for Trois-Rivières, criticizes Justin Trudeau’s WE scandal, saying, “The fact of awarding a contract without a tender to an organization closely linked to the Trudeau family is a perfectly stupid move.” He goes on to say that the Prime Minister’s apology “does not detract from the gravity of these acts of favouritism and this form of interference by the Prime Minister.” Francoeur continues, “Therein lies the problem with Justin Trudeau. His lapses of ethics and his annoying tendency to place himself in a situation of conflict of interest seem most often associated with candour or a kind of carelessness or even a lack of judgment, which makes the matter even more astounding.” The Liberal candidate concludes his column by citing when Justin Trudeau broke federal law, including Trudeau’s trip to a billionaire’s island. “Does Mr. Francoeur still think Justin Trudeau is a corrupt politician,” asked Levesque. “And will Mr. Francoeur speak out against other Liberal candidates, like Judy Sgro, who believe that federal laws should not apply to them?” “Canadians can’t afford any more of Justin Trudeau’s corruption,” Barrett and Levesque concluded. “Canada’s Recovery Plan is Erin O’Toole’s plan to secure the future by restoring accountability to Ottawa.” The full column can be read here: https://www.lenouvelliste.ca/opinions/editorial/lethique-elastique-de-justin-trudeau-b04eeaba5539dd2d13fda450752d11c9

Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, introduced his plan to protect gig economy workers by ensuring their access to employment insurance (EI) benefits. “Millions of Canadians don’t qualify for EI because they’re on contract or only have temporary work,” O’Toole said. “So when a crisis like COVID-19 hit, these workers had no safety net. A Conservative government will provide security to gig economy workers.” With Canada’s Recovery Plan, Canada’s Conservatives will require gig economy companies to make contributions equivalent to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and EI premiums into a new, portable Employee Savings Account every time they pay their workers. The money will grow tax-free and can be used to pay CPP premiums or accumulate savings that will be withdrawn by the worker when they need it. “The Canadian workplace has changed and the support Canada provides to workers must change as well,” said O’Toole. “Only Canada’s Conservatives have a plan to secure the future for Canadian workers.”

Brantford, ON – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, introduced the Canada Mental Health Action Plan. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened Canada’s mental health crisis, especially for youth. After a year of lockdowns, one in five Canadians has screened positive for symptoms of depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. “As a country, we need to recognize that mental health is health,” said O’Toole. “We have tremendous work to do to end the stigma and build more integrated mental health care systems across the country. Only Canada’s Conservatives have a plan to secure the mental health of Canadians.” To help those struggling with mental health, as part of the Canada Mental Health Action Plan, a Conservative government will: -- Massively boost health transfers to the provinces to six per cent annually, doubling the Liberal commitment and representing $60 billion more health care dollars over the next 10 years. -- Work with the provinces to invest in mental health as the health priority it is with the goal of providing enough funding through health transfers for an additional million Canadians to receive mental health treatment every year and cut the waitlists for help. -- Encourage employers to add mental health coverage to the employee benefit plans or boost their coverage by offering a tax credit for 25 per cent of the cost of additional mental health coverage for the first three years. -- Provide $150 million over three years in grants to nonprofits and charities delivering mental health and wellness programming. -- Create a nationwide three-digit suicide prevention hotline. -- Make the single largest investment in Canadian history for mental health supports for Indigenous people by providing $1 billion over five years to boost funding for Indigenous mental health and drug treatment programs, including providing culturally appropriate supports. “Canada’s Conservatives believe that mental health is as important as physical health and now is the time to act,” said O’Toole. “I want Canadians who are struggling to know that we are here to support you and ensure help is on the way.”

Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, released his plan to secure pensions for Canadian workers. “Canadian workers who have paid into a pension plan on every paycheque should be able to rely on it being there when they retire,” said O’Toole. “But far too often, we have seen workers, through no fault of their own, forced to take big cuts to their pensions when the company they worked for goes bankrupt. As Prime Minister, I will stand up for workers and introduce the necessary measures to protect hard-earned pensions.” As part of Canada’s Recovery Plan, a Conservative government will change the law so that when a company goes bankrupt or is being restructured, workers come first – not corporate elites. Canada’s Conservatives will also improve the security of workers’ pensions by: Preventing executives from paying themselves bonuses while managing a company going through restructuring unless the pension plan is fully funded. No longer forcing underfunded pension plans to be converted to annuities, a practice where the financial assets are sold and exchanged for an insurance product to reduce risks and offer fixed payments to pensioners. Companies typically fail in the midst of a recession when markets are depressed, and as a result, this practice currently locks in losses and means workers receive less money. Requiring companies to be more transparent with their employees by mandating they report the funding status of their pension plans. “If you don’t care about standing up for Canadian workers, you have three parties to choose from in this election,” O’Toole said. “If you do, then there is only one choice – Canada’s Conservatives.”

Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, released his plan to ensure the needs of Canadian workers are being addressed by having a seat on the boards of directors. “Too many decisions at major corporations are being made without the people who helped build the company – the workers – at the table,” said O’Toole. “Canada’s Recovery Plan will give workers a real voice within these companies to support the long-term success of their employer, and ultimately, their ability to make a living.” To ensure workers’ needs are heard at the very top, an O’Toole government will require federally regulated employers with over 1,000 employees or $100 million in annual revenue to include worker representation on their boards of directors. Federally regulated sectors include aerospace, trucking, marine shipping, rail, oil and gas, mining, telecommunications, and banking. Together, these sectors employ hundreds of thousands of Canadian workers across the country. “As we work toward recovery, we have an opportunity to ensure Canadian workers go back to better jobs,” said O’Toole. “Canada’s Recovery Plan will stand up for workers and deliver jobs for all Canadians.” If you don’t care about getting Canadians back to work in every sector and every region of the country, you have three parties to choose from in this election. If you do, then there is only one choice – Erin O’Toole and Canada’s Conservatives.

New Westminster, BC – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, introduced his plan to address the opioid crisis as a national emergency and help Canadians struggling with addiction. Every day, 17 Canadians die from opioid-related deaths. Since the onset of COVID-19, opioid-related deaths have almost doubled. “Families across this country are mourning lost children, lost parents, lost partners,” said O’Toole. “As Prime Minister, I will treat the opioid epidemic as the urgent health crisis that it is.” To help those struggling with addiction and save lives, Canada’s Recovery Plan will: Invest $325 million over the next three year to create 1,000 residential drug treatment beds and build 50 recovery community centres across the country. Enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addiction treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities with high needs. Provide $1 billion over five years to boost funding for Indigenous mental health and drug treatment programs. Partner with the provinces to ensure that Naloxone kits are available for free across Canada. Reorient the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy towards ensuring that every person struggling with addiction has the opportunity to recover. “As a country, we must recognize that mental health is health,” O’Toole concluded. “Only Canada’s Conservatives have a plan to make historic investments in mental health and addiction.”

Edmonton, AB – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, released his plan to break down barriers for Canadians living with disabilities. One in five Canadians lives with a disability. People living with long-term conditions or disabilities were also among the most impacted groups during the pandemic, with more than one-third experiencing a temporary or permanent job loss or reduced hours. “As Prime Minister, I will work to build a Canada where people of every ability can live full lives and participate fully in society, including in the workforce,” said O’Toole. “Canada’s Recovery Plan will provide Canadians with living with disabilities the supports they need, while always leaving them further ahead when they choose to pursue work.” Canada’s Recovery Plan will support Canadians with disabilities by: Doubling the Disability Supplement in the Canada Workers Benefit from $713 to $1,500, providing a major boost to lower-income Canadians with disabilities on top of our increase in the Canada Workers Benefit. Overhauling the complex array of disability supports and benefits to ensure that working always leaves someone further ahead and work with the provinces to ensure federal programs are designed to work with provincial programs to achieve this result. Providing an additional $80 million per year through the Enabling Accessibility Fund to ensure: Additional incentives for small business and community projects to improve accessibility. Grants and support for all types of accessibility equipment that Canadians with disabilities need to work. Enhancements to existing programs that will get more Canadians with disabilities into the workforce. Reducing the number of hours required to qualify for the Disability Tax Credit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan from 14 to 10 hours per week. “The disability community has been advocating for these improvements for years, but their demands have too often been met with lip service rather than action,” said O’Toole. “Conservatives are prepared to put our money where our mouth is, providing real, immediate funding increases to support Canadians living with disabilities through this difficult time.” If you don’t care about securing better disability supports for Canadians, you have three parties to choose from in this election. If you do, then there is only one choice – Erin O’Toole and Canada’s Conservatives.

Winnipeg, MB – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, unveiled the Canada Job Surge Plan, a key part of Canada’s Recovery Plan that will recover the million jobs lost since the start of the pandemic by focusing on the hardest-hit sectors, incentivizing businesses to hire, reducing regulatory burden, and reforming our tax system to reward work. “Many Canadians have struggled for months to find work, especially women and young people,” said O’Toole. “As the country reopens, our top priority is getting as many people back to work in good jobs, in every part of Canada, in every sector, as quickly as possible.” Once the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) ends in October, an O’Toole government will get Canadians back to work by introducing the Canada Job Surge Plan, an initiative that will pay up to 50 per cent of the salary of net new hires for six months. The wage subsidy will be at least 25 per cent and will increase based on how long a new employee has been out of work, reaching 50 per cent for those who have been unemployed for ten months or more. The Canada Job Surge Plan will apply to all sectors, but it will be especially helpful to those sectors hit first and hardest by the pandemic, such as hospitality and tourism. “The Canada Job Surge Plan is just the beginning of our plan to secure jobs across Canada, and to secure the future,” O’Toole concluded. “The Liberals, NDP and Greens don’t have a plan to get Canadians back to work. Canada’s Conservatives got us out of the last recession—we’ll get our country out of this one too.”

Quebec City, QC – The Contrat avec les Québécois et les Québécoises, announced today by the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, aims to put the economy back on track, promote regional economic development, and defend the interests of the Quebec nation. In the first 100 days of a Conservative government, several actions will be taken to give Quebec the powers of a nation. “After six years of Justin Trudeau’s overbearing and muddling-through style of government from Ottawa, Quebec needs a change,” said O’Toole. “We will work together to beat him. Quebecers deserve a federal government that listens to them and respects them. This is more than a promise, it’s a plan. The Conservatives will stimulate the economy, contribute to the development of our regions, respect the Quebec nation, and protect the French language. We will also ensure that Quebecers are well-represented at the negotiating table in Ottawa, as well as being a government that will always respect human rights, including a woman’s right to choose.” Within the first 100 days of a Conservative government, Erin O’Toole and his Conservative team will implement the Contrat avec les Québécois et les Québécoises, including: Increasing Quebec’s powers over immigration. Addressing the labour shortage. Preserving the history and built heritage of Quebec. Working with Quebec to apply Bill 101 to federally regulated businesses. Respecting the right of Quebec to pass its own laws to protect its language and culture. Negotiating the establishment of a single tax return for Quebec and maintaining the federal tax centres in Jonquière and Shawinigan. Ensuring predictable, stable, and unconditional federal health transfers. Ensuring integrity and fighting Liberal corruption. Not raising taxes and income taxes. Establishing a federalism based on partnership. “I dream of a Canada where the French language is well-protected, where Quebecers are heard, and where Quebec has all the tools to ensure its prosperity,” concluded O’Toole. “Together, we will preserve your heritage, your language, and your history. Together, we will put the economy back on track, maintain our standard of living, and build a better future. And together, we will stop Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.”

Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, released the following statement on Justin Trudeau admitting addressing the rising cost of living isn’t a priority for him: “Today, Justin Trudeau was asked what his government was going to do about the rising costs that Canadians are facing across the country. Instead of answering the question, Trudeau said it’s not something he is thinking about. “The simple fact is that Justin Trudeau has made life less affordable for Canadians. Unlike Justin Trudeau who doesn’t have to worry about paying for his gas, groceries, and mortgage – regular Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. “It’s time to make life more affordable for Canadians. That’s why I’ve put forward Canada’s Recovery Plan that will fight back against the growing cost of living crisis that Trudeau has created and secure the future for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. “If you aren’t worried about your personal finances, you have three parties to choose from. If you are, there is only one choice – Canada’s Conservatives.”